Linked By Fate
by SeaSaltSkies
Summary: This is the Story of Rosette’s Maiden voyage into the past, and her quest to return to her own time. By signing a contract with a Vampire, Chrno, She is determined to show that the future is only what you make it. AU joint fic
1. Act 1

Chapter One: Bridging the gap

Authors note: This is a fic that has been written by Me, Amako, and Zoey. I'm not going to reveal much, because I want you to figure it out on the way. Btw, I'm working on the 2nd chapter of CHOCOLATE MONSTER and Amako is working on BLANK PAGES, and Zoey is working on her fic FIREFLY as well. Maybe we'll get them out soon! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter One

It was a long ride, even in the tunnels that spanned thousands of miles and boasted a speed limit of 700 mph, to get to his house. But she didn't mind, not in the least, because distance meant that when she did visit him, she'd stay for a long time, something she had been looking forward to for ages. She smiled slightly, allowing the vehicle to pilot itself down the long tunnels as she pushed her long white hair out of her face, a warm blush on her cheeks.

Joshua Christopher, her childhood crush and long time love. She wondered what he had been doing since the last time she had seen him 3 years ago. Those had been good times, before she had been discovered for her singing and began touring. She had just come back from Europe…. She wondered if he knew she was coming.

With a little frown she turned the wheel, leading herself off the tunnels and to the surface, the rumble of cars shooting above her head for a mile up making her a bit nervous. She had just got her license and was still terrified to go above the ground more then a few feet. "Now where…" She asked herself, biting her bottom lip, "Did Rosette say that they were living?" She scanned her fingers over the computer screen to her left, bringing up directions that she had scanned into the computer. It wasn't safe to allow the computer to drive in this situation… New York traffic was horrible.

It didn't take long though to reach the outskirts of the city, where the old centuries seemed to meld into their own amongst the buildings. A lot of the towers here had been built atop, and around old skyscrapers and parks of the 21st century. She frowned lightly, not realizing what state of living the two siblings must be in to have to live here. She pulled the car up to the smallest of the buildings; a measly 79-floored wonder called The Seventh Bell, and slid out of her mustang. "Well…. here goes nothing" She breathed out slowly, looking about the overgrown plants that surrounded the building, flowers and the like, before trotting into the lobby. "Wow…" She whispered, looking about at the old marble floors and furnishings, her high heels clicking with every step as she made her way up to the elevator shaft, hesitantly poking the button and jumping a bit as the doors grinded open with groan of unhappiness.

"Lord almighty…have the safety inspectors ever been over here?" She asked the air timidly, not sure if she was ready to put her life in the hands of just a rickety old contraption. But as the doors started to slide close she pushed herself forward with a sudden bout of courage and slipped inside before the metal doors locked together with a clang. For a moment the entire thing was silent, and it seemed like it had broken down, but the second the poor girl stepped forward, it rocketed up with a power that literally knocked her off her feet. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

_DING_

The door creaked open easier this time, as if energized by her terror, and the young girl nearly threw herself out the doors with a strangled cry, clinging the rug for a good 10 minutes until the ground stopped moving beneath her. "Ugh…" She whimpered, climbing to her feet again before smoothing down her dress and attempting to fix her hair that was now sticking up in odd places, trying to act as if that moment of un-professionalism had never happened, but the way she walked, a bit sideways, told of her near death experience. "She said…it was room 7956…" She said simply, walking down the hall, avoiding a hole in the floor quickly before picking up her steps. How could anyone live in this place?

_Knock Knock_

She pulled back her hand, holding her fist timidly in her other hand as her knocking allowed the door to Swing open and she stepped inside. "Hello?" She asked Timidly, peaking around the corner at the cluttered apartment, a welding gun and a lot of tools scattered around the foyer. "Rosette? Joshua?" She stepped around the kitchen wall and wandered into the living Room, her eyes widening at the sight of a rather fantastic machine, the metal gleaming slightly despite its antiquity and wires running from it in all directions, connected to generators that rumbled loudly, a hunched form working before a rather large set up of old screens and keyboards.

Her heart picked up a bit, as she realized who it had to be, and she stepped forward, a wide smile working over her lips as she timidly rested her hand upon his shoulder and leaned over to shout in his ear over the noise of the generators "Joshua?"

That should get his attention.

* * *

Joshua Christopher sat in the cramped space of the living room, which had become anything but as soon as he started his little 'project' well over a month ago. He had finally scrounged up enough money to purchase a motherboard he had been eyeing for a while, and when he finally got his hands on it, he wasn't sure he wanted just a computer. He had made the one both his sister and he uses in the household nearly from scratch as soon as he found out how to make one. He was considered something of a genius in school, always passing the most prestigious math and science courses without barely lifting a finger – and of course, completely flunked anything that involved any physical activity. He was by no means lazy, but his health kept him on his rear most of the time. Sometimes something as simple as walking to the store to pick up supplies for dinner could wear him out and cause him to retire early on in the evening.

The blond tilted his head up from his work, welding goggles placed firmly on the top of his head, wiping away from sweat that had accumulated from such tedious work. If only Rosette would help him some more…. She loved to use that welder, but if nothing got torn apart, melted, or otherwise destroyed, she wouldn't help. Besides, she thought his project was too far-fetched – even for an extremely smart young man like himself. Sisters… Why do they-

The second his mind began to wander off from his work, he felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder, delicate and soft, much unlike Rosette…

"JOSHUA!"

"WAAH!" Joshua jumped out of his skin, dropping the lone keyboard that had once lay comfortably in his lap, the clattering made from the moment of destruction making the poor boy fall backwards, gasping for air. "R-Rosette! I told you not to d-"

He blinked a few times, awaiting the lecture that his sister was sure to give him for being so wrapped up in his work… Wait, his sister didn't have hair that long… and it was blond…. this girl…

"A-Azmaria?" Joshua squeaked, looking up at the young girl from a very odd angle, having been flat on his back, looking up at her with a surprised grin.

Azmaria squeaked slightly as he wrenched away from her touch, coming within inches of being part of a certain collision of heads as he fell from his chair and tumbled to the floor. "Joshua!" She dropped to her knees quickly, not realizing the nice view the boy must have had beneath her dress as she helped him sit up again, her ruby eyes worried and her cheeks quite pink as she looked up at him with a faint smile. "I'm sorry I scared you! It's just so loud in here! What is that thing?"

He coughed, taking her hand as she hoisted him up back into his chair, a faint blush on his cheeks. He didn't MEAN to glance up her dress... it was just... there. "N-No, it's my fault. Rosette always says I get too wrapped up in my work and can't hear anything or anyone around me." He rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment, looking up at her with the timid ness he usually portrays around her. "Sorry it's so loud in here. I'm working on a new invention!"

Her eyes lit up with curiosity, smiling brightly as she looked at the rather huge contraption that was rattling away in the living room. "Oh! Your invention! Rosette told me that you were restoring an old attempt at a time machine with a grant from the Museum! That's great!" She timidly stepped up to the machine and brushed her fingers along the cool steel, grinning cutely. "Where is Rosette anyway?"

"Probably trying to finish her homework in her room..." He sweatdropped. "She always takes hours. You know her."

She nodded slightly; stepping around the blonde boy in search of the one girl she could truly consider a sister. She had missed the girl's realness since she had left for her tour; the number of fake people that had surrounded her in that long trip was nearly revolting. "Rosette?" She peaked into the hallway that led to the bedrooms. "Rosette!"

Unaware of the new arrival, a blonde head bobbed from around the corner of the doorway to the kitchen, sapphire eyes casting an annoyed glance to the contraption she had grown to dislike the presence of. "I see you're still working on that piece of junk," Rosette muttered, voice lined with distaste as she switched her gaze to her brother. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even stop to eat."

"W-well...I can't argue with you there." Joshua laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head with a bit of a blush. "It's just so hard to stop once I'm on a roll..."

"Rosette!" Azmaria squealed at the sight of her, scampering up behind the girl to throw her arms about her waist, not hearing a word they had said at all over the noise of the generators.

"ACK!" Rosette squeaked in surprise, nearly toppling over from the unexpected impact. A lock of snowy hair drifted over her shoulder. "What the...Azu?" Blue eyes blinked in momentary confusion, before a bright grin lit up her face. Turning about to face the younger girl, she returned the hug energetically. "It's been such long time! How have you been?"

Rosette abruptly cleared her throat, pointing a thumb behind her in mock-irritation. "And don't mind him. He's been too busy with that trash heap to realize what's going on around him."

"Great! The tour was such a Success!" She blushed cutely, turning her eyes to Joshua with a warm look. "I think its great, to have such a big project... I mean, he's going to be widely known for this once its displayed wont he?" She let Rosette go, placing her back upon the couch lightly as she stepped around it. "What is it supposed to be anyway?"

"A time machine!" Joshua said proudly, waving around a small wrench above his head. "And it's really gonna work!"

"Junk," Rosette stated simply, kicking the bottom lightly as she walked up to it. "But Mr. Genius over there prefers to call it something else."

"TIME MACHINE!" Joshua repeated.

"A time machine!" She said slowly, as in awe. "Does it work?" She leaned over and went to poke one of the outstanding buttons on the side, completely enraptured. She had never seen something quite so... amazing...not since Joshua and Rosette had shown her the pocket watch their father had created in an attempt to restore life. Even though it hadn't worked, she still had got an odd shiver from it, and she was from this too.

"A-ah! Azu, please don't-" With a crack, the machine shuttered and let out a blow of steam, humming and slowing to a complete stop, leaving them in a very humid room.

"...Touch that button..." He coughed, sighing as the machine cluttered to a stop. "It's still not finished... besides, who knows what might happen if one of you push the wrong button? I know Azu's pretty careful, but Rosette could break it. Like everything else she touches."

The blonde's fist clenched more tightly around the spatula she had brought with her from the kitchen. "What was that!" She near-screeched, sending an icy glare toward Joshua. "I don't destroy everything!" She gave the machine another kick out of frustration. "I think it'd be better for everyone if this worthless thing was destroyed! All it does is take up space and keep you from doing anything useful around here!"

"But!" Azu piped up, giving Joshua an Adoring look. "Its so cool! And he's following in his father's footsteps too!"

Rosette raised a curious eyebrow to the look Azmaria was giving Joshua, but said nothing.

"Hey! Don't kick my baby!" Joshua whined in retaliation, hugging the huge contraption. "You'll hurt her feelings!"

"See what I mean, Azu?" Rosette gestured incredulously to the boy hugging the machine. "Obsessed!" The blonde girl gave the rusted heap another kick. "Metal doesn't have feelings."

"Well, how am I going to get it finished if you keep breaking it one way or another? I swear, I'll never get done..." He replied, crossing his arms, pouting.

The machine sparked a bit, and Azu gasped, grabbing at Rosette's arms with obvious worry. "Rosette! Please--" With a sharp whirl the thing came to life, the rusted arches starting to lurch into motion, spinning about faster and faster as it glowed a blue tone, the tools that had rested within it disappearing with a small crackle of electricity. "Don't..?"

Joshua's eyes widened, standing to his feet quickly and looking at the screen on his laptop that had been momentarily hooked up to it to watch the status as he worked. "Y-you guys? Something's not right here..." He said with a cold sweat.

"Don't you dare blame this on me!" Rosette shouted indignantly, though it was getting harder to hear the voices in the room over the increasingly loud noises the machine was emitting. "I didn't break it!" She bent down to inspect the small dent her repeated kicking had molded into the metal, and bit her lip. She didn't accidentally bust it again, did she?

"What...What is it doing?" The singer asked softly, her hair whipping about her as she moved to Joshua' side, her eyes shutting slightly against the wind that was filling the room. "Is it working!"

"Um... from what I can tell..." Joshua's shaky voice could barely be heard over the loud screeches of the machine, as he planted one hand on the side of the contraption. "My computer says it's working at full force - but I haven't even finished installing the hardware! It shouldn't be working!" A light deep inside the invention hummed, steadily getting brighter and brighter.

"What do we do?" Azmaria asked, hopping from one foot to the other as she curled her arms around one of his, the wind getting steadily stronger as well as the noise. "What's on the other side?"

"I don't know! I never set a date to go back to!" He replied with a wavering voice, as the light began to shine even brighter.

Bracing herself against the strong winds, Rosette peered toward a lit screen on the face of the machine, and the row of three buttons underneath. One of the spheres was pushed slightly inward. Someone had turned it on? "Hey, guys!" Rosette called, attempting to shout over the noise. "I think I found the problem!" Reaching out, she placed her finger over the next button and pressed lightly down.

The machine shuttered, the light turning green as numbers flashed steadily upon Joshua's screen, flicking to a sudden stop at a certain date. 1863. The arches started to slow along with the wind until all that stood before them was a slowly rotating ring about a quivering green portal, beckoning to be entered.

"Uh..." Joshua shuddered, still holding onto Azmaria tightly as he watched Rosette successfully stop the machine. "Whoa...that's a first..." Rosette fixing something...

The blonde snapped her fingers and flashed a grin toward her brother and Azmaria.

"How's that for 'destroying' things, Joshua?" Her gaze shifted to the green glow and she approached it with growing curiosity. "You didn't tell me you put lights into this thing."

"Um..." He gulped, watching her hesitantly. "I didn't. Not yet."

"What do we do now?" the singer asked softly, her eyes about the size of saucers as she stared at the glowing portal. "We cant, just leave it like this can we? We should call someone?"

Blonde eyebrows lifted in surprise. "You didn't, huh?" She placed a hand into the glow, feeling a slight chill run up her spine from the sensation. "Well whatever it is, it's kind of warm," she commented, "...but cold, at the same time." Furrowing her brows together in bewilderment of the feeling, Rosette slowly stepped into the green light.

"Wait, Rosette! You don't know what that does!" Joshua yelled as she stepped into the light.

"ROSETTE!" Azu squeaked, her entrance seeming to set something off within the machine, as it Spiked dangerously before dieing out, leaving the two onlookers without any idea on where she had gone.

"W-wait..." The poor blond boy blinked, looking at right where his sister was once standing. "...R-Rosette! Rosette! Where are you!"

Azu gave a soft cry as she dashed onto the pedestal, but not a trace of the girl was there, and she gave Joshua a horrified look. "She didn't... did she?"

* * *

It was cold in the tomb, very very cold, as it always was. But the creature didn't mind all that much, it was too far-gone to know anything. Layers of dust covered his moth eaten clothing, once radiant silk, and worms crawled about its legs, looking for some way to feast on the cold flesh, but finding none. Its chest rose and fell very slowly, maybe once an hour, if you could find time in this place. The creature, named after time itself, was lost to it, the flow that kept going every time you paused to chart it, continuing along without its namesake. Dull eyes were half lidded, the faint red still there amongst the sunken orbs, running on so little of the energy that kept its form in motion, so little blood. It couldn't move at all even, if he did, it'd die right out. Not really die though, no, it would be reduced to something a lot more pathetic then it was now. Nothing more then a mummy, scrunched up in the tomb until some inkling of blood touched its lips and reanimated it from its disgusting nightmares of the years it had lived.

And it had lived so many years.

Time ticked on, the brushing of consciousness within the creature's mind sinking back into its placid state amongst the nightmares.

But it wasn't long until something bright entered his world of darkness, and he would have lifted a hand to shield his eyes had it not been for the fact that he was unable to do much more then stare into the abyss.

But he could feel it, oh how he could feel it. The burning pleasure of the sun before it cut out quickly, leaving his skin darkened, bronzed despite his centuries in darkness. And he could feel her….

A creature, pulsing with blood, royal, rich blood. Blood that never had felt any pain, never been spilt, never had a touch of sickness. The purest of all he had ever seen, even amongst princesses.

And he wanted it.

He cursed his body, unable to do much more then shift in the darkness, his eyes gleaming faintly as the little movement sent dust flying about him.

* * *

It was fast. Incredibly high-speed. So quick, in fact, that Rosette wasn't even conscious of what had taken place in that short time span. The very first thing she even registered, was a taste: Acrid, musty, and dry.

Dirt.

Slowly, the horrid flavor of earth brought her back to reality and she coughed, face down on the flooring, cracking one blue eye gently open.

It was dark, that much was immediately revealed. As her eyes slowly attempted and failed to adjust to the inky blackness around her, she rose to her knees and coughed a bit more dirt out of her system.

What in the world had happened? Had she fallen asleep...? Passed out, maybe?

Yes, Joshua had been working on that stupid "Time Machine" of his. Azu had been there, there were frantic, unheard comments from her and Joshua that were indistinguishable from the noise the contraption was making, and then there was that green light... She must have passed out directly on the floor next to that rusty bucket of bolts!

No wonder the floor was dirty.

"Joshua?" Rosette ventured softly, still coughing more dirt out of her dry throat, "Azu?" She winced as she moved to the side, feeling her knee come in contact with something on the ground. She reached out for it, recognizing the object almost instantly upon contact. It was the spatula she had carried from the kitchen.

Oh, no! If she had passed out, that meant that dinner was...ruined, to say the least. She frowned in the darkness, distantly wondering if Joshua had remembered to eat before going to sleep. Sighing lightly, she stood, gazing about the area. As though she were unused to the lack of light, Rosette's eyes were finally fully adjusting to her surroundings.

And that just complicated things ten times more.

This _wasn't_ Joshua's workroom. Or, for that matter, any room that she was even vaguely familiar with.

There was an unidentified large dark shape in the center, but she couldn't make it out from her current position. And suddenly, right before her fuzzy vision, there was a very slight movement beside the large object, which awakened a cloud of dust.

A chill went down her spine almost instantaneously, the small hairs on the back of her neck jumping to attention. For the first time in ages, Rosette felt something akin to _fear_.

And she had the _strangest_, inexplicable feeling that she wasn't alone, wherever she was.

The blonde's voice cracked slightly as she spoke, "Is someone there?"

A voice, it was heavenly after all those years of silence, only pierced by his own screaming. It energized him, hearing it, feeling her before him. Her lifeblood beckoning him forward. He groaned slightly, the blood that pulsed about his deadened heart spreading out thinly about his body, giving him very faint life, and he leaned forward, his voice gravely amongst the dust. "Yes…."

She swallowed, her fist clenching more tightly around the handle of the spatula in her hand. That voice, whomever it belonged to, wasn't familiar in the least. Rosette looked about wildly, attempting to find means of escape if this person turned out to be dangerous, but she found nothing in the darkness. "W-Who are you?" she questioned, instinctively holding the utensil out before her in some form of protection.

"My name is..." He said softly, trying to climb to his feet, his dusty hands gripping painfully against the Sarcophagus behind him as he lifted himself up, and weak and in pain. "My name is Chrno." He was about to tell her what he was, oh no, not until she got closer. He hungered for her, her lively beauty that went past her skin and deep into her beating heart. He wanted to rip it out, feast on it until he had enough power to break free of the tomb. "I...I am a prisoner in this place.."

His red eyes lifted to meet with her clear blue ones almost pleadingly, as his long hair tumbled down his back and over his still sculpted shoulders, faintly purple under all the dust. The lights in the place lifted just a bit with his movement, but he couldn't do much more then hold himself out, the blood pulsing through him weakening by the moment. If this took any longer, he'd have to throw himself on her mercy... and that had only ever worked once. His heart clenched a bit at the memory, but he struggled to push it away, focusing at the task on hand.

She stood her ground, biting down on her lip as she felt a slight sympathy toward the shadowed stranger, despite her fear. "Chrno," she spoke slowly, letting the name rest on her tongue, testing it. "A...prisoner?" Convict? Dangerous fugitive from the law? Innocent but held against his will?

"Well, I don't see any way out of here," she offered dully. "So I don't think I can help you."

He groaned a bit as he stood, dust and dirt falling off of him as he held himself tall, albeit, very wearily. "There are ways, but I am unable to do it myself... I would need help..." He took a hesitant step forward, unsure as what to do in this situation. He would soon be dry of any blood, and then, all his secretity would be lost in death. He would be a mummy, lying about with the very source of life slowly dying beside him, unused and starving. It would be torture.

The only way...He frowned and hated to admit it, would be to put his life into her hands.

"There are ways... I have told you that my name is Chrno; I have been trapped here in regards to an event I had no choice in. I am a Vampire..." He hissed out softly, knowing it would scare her.

For a moment, she stood in silence, not having moved an inch from her current position.

...And then burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Catching her breath a few moments later, she wiped her tear-induced eyes. "Okay, Chrno, I nearly bought whole "prisoner" thing, but you're really pushing it." She sighed and smiled through the darkness at his slumped form. "But you're pretty bold, I'll give you that," she admitted, the same smile still present on her features. "So I'll help you. What can I do?"

He looked at her, rather startled at her laughter, and frowned slightly, trying to step forward but stumbled, toppling into the dust with a muffled growl. "You can give me a hand."

Casually tossing the spatula to her left hand, she approached him, no longer afraid, knelt next to his fallen body, and held her right hand out for him to take. "Can't get up, huh?"

He looked up at her, his hair tangling about his handsome features as he lifted his hand and closed it about her own, the pulse of her heart beneath her skin making his own skip a beat. He was so hungry... all he had to do was wrench her forward and dig his fangs deep into her throat until she no longer struggled. But he didn't even have enough strength for that...

"Hmm, you really have been here awhile, haven't you?" With one large tug, she attempted to lift him to his feet. For a moment, she felt her breath catch in her throat. The way his dark hair framed his face was almost...attractive, in some way. Mentally shaking the thought away, she decided to question him further. "What have you been living off of down here, anyway?"

He stumbled as she pulled him up, his body almost as light as a feather as his hair floated about his face, and he looked down at her with enchanting eyes as his fingers lightly slid to her throat, the pulse there far more alluring, more alluring then his restraint could bare. "I haven't been." He whispered, tilting her head upwards as he descended to his meal, fangs extending from their dulled state as he closed his eyes. Finally...

WHACK.

After cracking the spatula roughly against the top of his skull, Rosette stumbled backward, holding the "weapon" out before her threateningly, a bright blush painting her cheeks in the darkness. "Alright, buddy, you took your little joke too far," her blue eyes blazed with anger as she spoke. "I said I'd help you get out of here. So stop it with your sick pranks. It's not funny."

And yet, despite her anger, she could not ignore the increase in her heart rate. He had come so close to her, and his eyes seemed almost inhuman, just for the instant she'd locked gazes with him.

The sudden collision of the strange object to his skull sent him reeling, and he stumbled backwards, collapsing with a slight snarl as she spoke in that high pitched, worried voice.

"I am not pulling a ...Prank as you say..." He whispered, eyes flashing as he bared his fangs at her, weakening by the moment. "I am a vampire, one of the originals, I've been locked in this accursed tomb with my nightmares for more centuries then I can remember. I am at my end, my child of light, in a few minutes you will see nothing but a mummy before you."

Rosette didn't want to believe it. She really didn't. ...But he provided the best explanation she could have at this point. There was nothing in the tomb for him to eat, and there was so much dust on him that he must have been rooted to the spot for...years. And it was obvious from her current location and the looks of his clothing, that she was no longer in the year 2163.

The time machine must have actually worked.

...What could she do, now? Sacrifice her life to save this starving man, a stranger she didn't know anything about? There had to be another way...

Hesitantly, she took a few shaky steps toward him. "I can't say I completely believe you yet," the blonde admitted in a small voice. "However, is there some other way I can help you?"

He didn't respond for a few moments, his eyes lowered as if dead, before finally he breathed in, lifting his eyes back to her again. "I will not drain you... I need only enough to get out of here..." He lifted a hand again to the sarcophagus once more, trying to lift himself up. "I will be in your debt, and I will bind myself to your service until the time you see fit that I have repaid my debt. But I need your blood, quickly. This choice is not something you can ponder on."

Taking a shuddering breath, she approached his fallen form again, dropping down before him with a single nod to signal that she understood. She was afraid, she could admit it to herself, but still, Rosette felt that what she was doing...was right.

Something about Chrno compelled her to trust him.

His dusty face pulled into a slight smile, and he nodded to her, his large hands settling over her shoulders as he drew her close to him, his voice low and rumbly. "Thank you..." his fingers traced over her pulse point, turning her head upwards with a small smile as he pulled her even closer, sandwiching her form against his with one strong arm as he sank his fangs into her throat, the taste of coppery sweetness nearly driving him wild. He groaned faintly against her skin, licking the wound with lavish attention before he began to drink deeply of her life. It was so pure, so delicious

There was no harm in it, no malice that tainted the flesh and bone of the mortals he regularly had fed on. None of the sicknesses carried by rats and bugs and fescues that filled the flavor with a raunchy after taste. It was heaven in each draft of the substance, energizing him more then he could have thought would be possible. And in this process he bound himself to her, in the ancient way vampires could, binding their very names.

"Rosette..." He whispered against her skin, his arms tight, but gentle about her, like the way a lover would hold his beloved when she was afraid of the dark. Only Chrno was the dark, and he loved it more and more with each taste.

Her sapphire eyes had drifted half-closed, partially from the overwhelming weakness that enveloped her, and partially from his close proximity.

But she clearly heard him say her name. And that...she didn't tell it to him, did she?

Her eyelids drifted even further down as he continued removing the life fluid from her body, and with a great effort, she opened her lips, voice coming out no more than a faint whisper, "My name...how...did you know?"

Finally he pulled back, leaving her enough to live on, enough to keep consciousness, but left her considerably weaker, the guilt that filled each killing hitting him more even though her life had not been lost. He could see it already, although there was not much, the tainting... "I am in your debt more then you might realize Rosette..." He lifted himself up, swinging her gently into his arms bridal style. "I am bound to you now, to your name as it is bound to your blood. That is how I know." He gently brushed her bangs from her face before pressing his now warm fingers to her throat, helping the bleeding stop.

In the hazy and half-dreamy condition of her mind at present, he made perfect sense. Yes, she was safe now. It didn't matter where she was, or what time she was in. None of it mattered, because she felt secure with Chrno.

Unable to fight the exhaustion any longer, Rosette slumped her head against his chest and the slits of dulled blue closed completely.

Chrno chuckled slightly, brushing his own hair out of his face as she curled against his falsely beating heart. "Goodnight dear angel." He whispered faintly as she fell asleep, and he held her carefully as he brushed his fingers over the watch she was wearing on her chest, yanking his hand back with a frown as the contact was rather painful, the face glowing a faint green.

"What do we have here?" He asked in a low voice, but turned his eyes upwards to the streets above, his now heightened senses detecting thousands of beating hearts. His face broke into a rather devious smile, his already stained fangs glinting in the half-light of the tomb. "I am Sorry Magdalene, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks." He whispered softly, brushing his hand over the coffin before he stepped forward into the shadows, and back into time.

* * *

Hope you Enjoyed:P 


	2. Act 2

Title: Linked by Fate

Chapter: Act 2: Adjusting to Bloodshed

Authors' Note: Wee Chapter 2! I have to say, that this chapter is my favorite so far, because Chrno is just so damn Sexy. Amako and I had fun writing this part, and Zoey kept the most…. interesting commentary during the course of it. XD I might post it as an Omake the next chapter around. : D Enjoy!

* * *

Chrno at first was not sure what to do with himself, the moment he stepped out into the dingy dirty streets to the sight of life pooling about him in waves, waves of people jabbering as they walked down the crowed streets, not paying a moments notice to the darkened man with the angel in his arms. He frowned a first, licking his already stained lips at the meal. He had other duties to tend to before he could feed, mostly, finding a place for them to stay. He had money, stashed in timeless vaults, that he hoped still existed.

He gently heaved the girl up, awkwardly adjusting her until he was able to hold her piggyback and carry her like that, like fluid through the shadows. A few of his safes came up missing, the bankers looking at the young man like he had lost his wits, but he was able to retrieve a good amount of them within the hour, setting up accounts simply by telling the bankers to do so. Soon he was able to find himself a rather nice villa, in which a rather beautiful whine cellar rested beneath, (Rosette was a welcome burden to carry about, as he explained her sleepiness by saying that they had just walked after their cart had been attacked by wolves. Oddly enough they all had bought it.)

With the right amount of gold, the villa was quickly passed over to him, the help ordered out for the night not to return to the main building. Chrno smiled lightly, making sure to remember their pulse, the last thing he wanted was to feast on the hired help. He gently turned rosette back about, sliding her into his arms as he ascended the stairs and slipped her into the master bedroom, changing her into the nightgown left for the two by the servants before tucking her in. And then... he went to feast.

"Mmm..." Rosette finally came to, yawning widely as she snuggled further into the bed covers, eyes still closed. What a strange dream she had...

Shaking away the last of the dreamy illusions, she sat up and cracked her blue eyes open, squinting into the dim light. A tiny gasp escaped her throat at the sight that greeted her. She wasn't in her own bedroom. As a matter of fact, the room and bed she occupied wouldn't look out of place in a museum or history book.

So...it hadn't been a dream, after all. A slight throb in her neck gave her that reassurance and she groaned aloud. Stuck in the past, with no technology, and bound to a vampire, of all things. Just her luck.

That's right, Chrno. The handsome vampire she had helped, by use of her own blood. And now the mysterious man had pledged his services to her to repay the debt.

...It was really something out of one of Joshua's old fantasy novels.

Where was Chrno now? She was alone, as far as she could tell. And...Adorning clothing she was certain she hadn't changed into. Who could have...Why was she...Where was...What was going on!

The familiar pulse of anger rippled through her system and she jumped out of the finely made bed, stalking out the door in nothing but the thin pajama she had miraculously found herself in.

"CHRNO!" she bellowed loudly, irritation heightening by the second. Someone had better tell her what the heck was going on! And FAST!

The Vampire closed the door of the villa gently; quite happily full now that he had hunted to his hearts content. Disposing of the bodies was not hard either. There were slums all over the city, where people lay amongst the dead, and fed themselves from them. It was a rather good time for a vampire to awaken, if he did say so himself. But the sound of his name being shrieked like that...didn't sit well in his stomach, or his ears, as he cringed and turned, wiping the blood from his lips. "What is it Rosette?"

She merely sputtered, open-mouthed for a moment, so angry that she couldn't seem to find the words to express it.

"I-You-What-What is THIS?" she demanded, motioning to her current attire and then to everything around her. Finally calming a slight bit after her outburst, she took in his current state with a frown. "And what in the world have you been doing?"

He turned about, leaning against the wall as he scanned his eyes down her form, a bit slower and more focused then she might have liked. "It looks like rather fine pajamas, cotton I believe. And I was out getting a meal." He grinned at that, showing rather pointy canines.

She flushed under his gaze, instinctively wrapping her arms about herself. "I know what they ARE, but why are they on ME? And where are my clothes?"

She frowned more deeply, processing the rest of his words. "Also..." The blonde stomped toward him and roughly bonked him upon the crown of his head with her fist. "There will be no more killings, you hear me? You're not taking any more lives."

He flinched, lifting his hand to where she hit him, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I'm sorry Rosette, but I can't comply with that." He easily caught her wrist in his hand, lowering it to his chest where his heart pulsed rhythmically, his red eyes locked with hers. "Without the blood of others, there is no pulse, without the pulse, there is no me. It is the way things are. I cannot stop."

She held her gaze steady with his crimson eyes, not backing down in the slightest. "Blood replenishes if you don't drain it all, dummy." She lowered her azure gaze to the floor for a moment, before catching his rubies once again. "If you...If you stop uselessly killing people, you can use mine instead." Shifting from one foot to the other, she pulled her hand away from the false beat. "We are bound, right? Is that fair enough for you?"

"You will die if I do that." He said flatly, turning from her and heading for the wine cellar. "You cannot regenerate that much blood every night for me to feed. I will not use your blood, and I will not risk your life."

One bare foot came crashing down on the floor. "I'm not sitting by and letting you kill people every night, dammit!" she shouted harshly. "And it's not for you to decide what happens to MY life! It's not like I'm anemic or something!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at his retreating back. "You said you were going to repay me, right, Chrno? I don't want you murdering people left and right, especially if there's something I can do to stop it."

He flinched, stopping in his tracks, and he swallowed, speaking hoarsely. "If that is what you wish. But I will be the one to decide if you have had enough, and when you have. I will hunt. I will not be murdering people left and right." He said sharply, before moving down the stairs. "Go to bed, the day comes soon."

"Don't tell me what to do!" she spat back. "And give me my clothes back! This...THING couldn't even be considered night clothes!" She tweaked the frilly edge of the clothing with distaste.

Joshua had always told her she was childish. She would scoff and promptly smack him for the remark, even though she knew it was true, to a point. But she had a right to be upset. She was far from home, from her brother, from everything she knew and loved. The blonde wanted nothing more than to leave the nightmare and go...back home.

Unbidden tears welled up in her eyes as she turned away from the vampire and headed back toward the unfamiliar bedroom she'd awakened in.

* * *

He wasn't sure if she had slept during the day; actually, he was almost sure that she didn't, if he had come to terms with her personality so far. He was very stubborn, and obviously homesick, although he wasn't sure of what. She had just walked through the wall of his tomb, and he couldn't figure out how.

But when he rose from his place in the cellar, and dusted off his clothing to meet the new night, he determined that he would find out. He stalked slowly up the stairs, and rapped lightly upon her door with his knuckles, before walking in with complete disregard for her privacy.

Rosette heard him come in, half-registering his tiny knock before he barged in, uninvited. But she didn't care. Pulling her knees up to her still-pajama-clad body, she turned her back to him and stared at the wall, head buried against her legs. She wouldn't dignify him with the acknowledgement of his presence.

He seemed to ignore her, walking over to the hot water that had been set onto the counter for her, and dipped a rag into it, before walking over and sitting lightly on the bed, using the warm rag to clean off her face as he lifted it. "You shouldn't be crying. It doesn't help."

Rosette shrugged away from his touch roughly, as though burned by the contact. "If you haven't come to give me my clothes back, then leave," she stated, voice dull. "I want to be left alone."

"You've been alone all day." He said with a faint smile, his fingers curling about her wrist simply to keep her from pulling away as he finished cleaning off her face and worked on her shoulders with the soothing rag. "Its time for you to tell me exactly how you got into my tomb. Then, we will go shopping for some clothing."

Her patience broke once again as she roughly attempted to dislodge his hold of her wrist. "I don't want new clothing! I want MY clothes and I want to go HOME."

Rosette then paused, biting her lip. The machine must still have been in the tomb. Maybe if Chrno brought her back there, she just press a button or two and be back with Joshua and Azmaria in no time flat.

She lifted her blue orbs to meet his own eyes, clenching the blanket upon the bed with one free hand. "Take me back to your tomb."

He blinked, obviously startled. "My dear, I can return you your clothing, and maybe even return you home. But I cannot return there, there is no tomb, it crumbled as soon as I left it. Only my presence was holding it up."

No... It couldn't be... NO! That stupid bucket of junk was her only way to get back home again. Why, WHY was this happening?

Fresh crystalline tears stained her cheeks once more as she started to sob loudly, hiccupping as she tried to speak. "Then...Then I can never...go back home."

"Where is home?" He asked soothingly, sliding onto the bed and wrapping his cold arms about her, bringing her into a hug as he ran his fingers through her surprisingly clean hair. "There was nothing in the tomb, other then me and..." He flinched at the thought of whom he had spent hundreds of years with. "It was only I, and dust."

She hiccupped again, strangely soothed by the vampire's hug. "Home...Home is with Joshua," she spoke forlornly, tears welling up once more. "And Seventh Bell, and Azmaria..." She clutched the pocket watch, still dangling innocently around her neck. "I came here from..." she trailed off, biting her lip once more. Maybe he would believe her, maybe he wouldn't. "I came from the future," she finally stated in a whisper. "By use of something my brother liked to call his Time Machine." She let another tear fall, clutching at the clothing on his chest. "Without that contraption, I can't go back."

He frowned slightly, pondering over this while he gently ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her into his lap so that he could sit comfortably against the backboard of the bed. "The future..." Time travel was impossible... as far as he had known, but who knew what it was like in the future. After all, there was no more logical explanation for how she could have appeared in his tomb like that, especially with it being day on the other side of where she had been. He looked down on at his bronzed skin, darkened by the sharp explosion of sun that had come into his prison along with her. "There was no time machine where I was held. I'm sorry, but it seems that it does not exist in this time."

"I...see," she spoke slowly, crestfallen. Would she never see her brother again? Or Azmaria? Or...anyone from her own time?

Rosette suddenly wished Joshua had never started to work on that piece of scrap metal. If it had never existed, everything would be fine. She and her genius brother would be happily schooling, living with the memories of their parents. Maybe she'd even be planning a wedding for Joshua and Azmaria in the future. The blonde smiled wistfully at the thought, before her face contorted again.

None of that would happen, now. She'd never get to see them again. Ever.

What...could she do now? She didn't belong here...wherever "here" was. And she couldn't ignore that fact, despite the comfort she felt with the violet-locked vampire. There was almost nothing even remotely good about her current situation... Aside from not having to do her math homework.

The fiery blue-eyed girl knew she had to make the best of her situation, despite the sinking depression the hung around her like a cloud of despair. However, how could she go about doing that? She wasn't even fully aware of her situation...yet.

Hopefully the pieces would come together soon, because her patience, temper, and sanity were running on their last thread.

Chrno's expression didn't change much, as he wondered how complicated things were going to be now that this new tidbit came into view. Obviously she had seemed as though in her time, there were no vampires. And by the look of her, no sicknesses either. "But... that does not mean that it cannot be created. You did not seem to know what time you were in...and I find it highly suspicious that you just appeared in all places, my untraceable tomb."

He fingered a chunk of her hair near the base of her neck, his other hand resting comfortably at her middle, twisting small circles in the material with his fingers. "That means, you are here in this time for a reason. And that, we will find out." He smiled down at her, a handsome grin that didn't fully travel to his eyes, but was enough to make a girl swoon. One could only imagine how many people he had caught with that look before... "But first..." His fingers lightly moved up to the pocket watch that he had not removed from her neck when changing her. "Might I ask what this is?"

The face of the clock was glowing a steady green, as the second hand ticked regularly about the dial.

"Oh!" Rosette squeaked in surprise, completely forgetting that she had been wearing the device. She contemplated the object silently for a moment, listening to the steady ticking. Had it...shone green like that before? She wore it so often that perhaps she never noticed. Finally, running her tongue over her lips and shifting slightly in his hold, she answered his question. "This pocket watch belonged to my late father," she explained, remorse present in her tone. "I keep it with me always."

Vaguely, she wondered what interest the vampire might have in the sentimentally linked watch. Though ironically, it did perhaps seem to fit his time much better than hers.

His eyebrows rumpled slightly, his fingers very lightly brushing over the face, only to pull them back again with just a bit of a grimace. "I'm sorry for your loss." He said softly, pushing the topic out quickly as he stood fluidly and placed her feet upon the floor, red eyes staring a bit hungrily at her graceful neck, marked only by his own (rather satisfying) meal the night before.

"As it is though, we both need to fit into this time, so, clothing is of the utmost importance. It is 1863 after all. For me, its far in the future, and you, far in the past." He gave her a fangy grin before leading her out, although his thoughts were still quite focused upon the pocket watch that dangled almost permanently about her neck. There was something wrong with that thing... something that he didn't quite like. He was almost sure it was cursed.

A fine blonde eyebrow rose as she lifted her head to glance at Chrno's handsome features while they briskly parted from the room and down the hall. He appeared a puzzled, almost worried, even. Getting clothes wouldn't cause this distress, would it? Her mind began lifting other possibilities to the light, each more outlandish than the next. Deciding she was reading too far into a simple expression, she quickly brought up the task at hand. "New clothes, huh?" She pinched woefully at the pajama she was still wearing and stopped in her tracks. "You can't expect me to go out in this?" she sputtered incredulously.

"We're only going into the Foyer." He said simply, as if it was nothing odd at all. "I hired someone to tailor clothing, and to fit them to us." he said cheerfully. "I have to say that the clothing I've seen men wearing are completely hideous. But we'll have to make do."

She frowned, not at all pleased, but sighed, and decided not to push her argument. "I'm sure the women's apparel will be equally as disturbing to me," she voiced loudly, her tone laced with disgust. "Probably big poofy dresses with ten layers, and as comfortable as a bed of nails." She stroked her bare arms, pining for her own clothing. But Chrno was right. She couldn't very well walk out into the streets in the clothing from her time period, without turning curious heads.

"Ah, then they haven't changed much from when I was last awake then." He replied, not at all put out by the idea, and he easily moved her behind him as he stepped out into the foyer, where a rather nervous man was waiting, ringing the cloth between his nervous hands. "Ah, you must be Mr. Edward Hamilton I presume..."

Rosette felt immediate unease. She couldn't explain it, a fleeting sensation that told her to keep herself at a minimum of five feet from this old man, but she obeyed it nonetheless. The blonde gave him a wide berth as she stepped back and behind Chrno, whom the elder man appeared to be wary of, her blue eyes still fixated on the graying stranger, as though expecting him to jump out and attack her.

The man known as Edward Hamilton was not as old as he seemed at first glance, his hair just speckled with white on the sides, and a pair of rather thick glasses on his face, but when he moved, a sudden, almost raunchy grin on his face at the sight of a petite girl hiding behind the... extremely handsome man... "Yes that would be me, my boy. Mr. Truth was it?" He grinned all the more as Chrno nodded, dropping the cloth and pulling out a measuring tape. "I had no idea that I'd be servicing two such... beautiful creatures." He snapped the tape slightly, as Chrno lowered his eyes with each step that the short man took closer to them.

"Well..." The vampire said with a bit of unease, clearing his throat. "I will take that as a compliment for now... I hope you can hold up to the reputation the servants gave you... We will be requesting a large amount of clothing." He obviously got the same type of feeling from the tailor, the need to stay at least five feet away, although he hid it better then the rambunctious girl.

The girl's sapphire eyes widened and she whimpered against Chrno's back. By fitting...he didn't mean...this guy was going to actually be fitting the clothing right onto them, did he? Surely it seemed more fitting of a job for a woman. Her insides gave an involuntary twist as she swallowed.

"Of course of course of course…" Edward said cheerfully, "I will get to work right away. After all, I am an Inventor as well; my clothing will withstand nearly anything I can promise you. Now, my girl, how about we get your...heh... Measurements while your Gentleman friend chooses some material and styles for you." He snapped the measuring tape again, stretching it out with an almost leering look.

Rosette whimpered more urgently, locking a fist around the back of Chrno's attire. The tailor appeared to have more on his mind than clothes fitting, judging by his expression, and she most certainly did not want to know what else was harbored in that head. "Is that...really necessary?" she near-squeaked, hiding her form even farther behind the tall vampire's body.

Chrno arched an eyebrow slightly, looking back at the girl who was so closely pressed to him, not that he minded that much. "Yes it is Rosette, I do not know how you get your clothing, but as far as I know, this is the only way." He turned and guided her forward, helping her step up upon the fitting box. "Do not worry, as all Tailors know, if they try anything less then professional, they might loose more then their hands." Chrno said, his humor almost as strong as the threat in his voice.

The older man chuckled slightly, a nervous type of laugh, as he slightly prodded Rosette's arms. "That is right after all... Lift your arms miss, I have to...measure your... yeah... hehehh..."

She instantly wrapped her hands about her arms and over her chest. Standing there and being put on display before these two men was bad enough. "Why don't you just hand me the tape measure, and I'll do it?" she suggested lightly, trying to sound casual.

"Rosette, please don't be difficult." Chrno said with slight exasperation, as he himself got ready for a fitting, dragging the moth-eaten cloak-shirt off, revealing a very toned upper body. "We do not have time for games."

His comment ignited her flame of irritation. "Yes, I suppose you wouldn't have any problem with some young woman poking around at you," she retorted scathingly, but obediently lifted her arms. "But I would much rather do it myself, than have a man do it."

"A woman working in such a trade?" Edward laughed, "I don't think so. I hate to crush your dreams my girl, but most shops will not allow a woman out of the back of the shop." His fingers grazed just a bit to close to her breasts as he checked her measurements. "34 bust... very nice..."

"Watch your hands Old man." Chrno said a bit scathingly as he flipped through dress designs and pulled out the ones he liked.

Rosette slapped the offending hand, her anger rekindled by the man's probing fingers. "And why couldn't a woman have a job like th-!" Rosette trailed into silence abruptly, forced to grasp her situation once again. This was long before women took a stand a history. "And keep your commentary to yourself," she spat finally, disregarding her previous words.

Edward just chuckled, moving his measurements to her middle, tugging up the top of her pajamas so that he could oogle at her surprisingly smooth skin. "My god Truth, where did you find this catch! Its as if she's never seen a day of dirt!" Rosette flushed from head to toe, an odd mixture of embarrassment and seething anger.

"I said keep your commentary to yourself, you old pervert!" And disregarding the time period, she swung her fist back and clocked the old man right in the head.

"Where I got her is none of your---ROSETTE!" Chrno was standing in a flash, his bare arms closing about her as the old man toppled backwards from the hit, holding her back from doing him anymore harm. "Rosette that was unnecessary!"

But Edward did not seem bothered in the least bit; rather instead, he seemed rather aroused with the blood dripping from his nose. "Ehehehehhh! What a right hook! What a woman! Ahhh she makes my blood boilll" The crooned as he stood again, his hands twitching slightly.

Rosette struggled uselessly against Chrno's tight hold, wishing more pain to be dealt to the horrible perverted tailor. "That's just the start of what you've got coming to you!" the fair-haired girl raged, itching to deliver countless kicks and blows to the form before her. "Dammit, Chrno! LET GO! HE DESERVES IT!"

He grimaced slightly, pulling her off the tailoring box and pinning her flailing legs with one of his own, completely stilling her struggling form as his voice rumbled next to her ear. "Rosette, I need you to calm yourself." His voice was soothing, relaxing, and unbeknownst to her, an old trick that the vampire had mastered to calm a person. "Don't worry, I'll measure you rather then him alright? But I need you to leave him in one piece..."

'No!' her mind screamed feverishly, 'You can't let the old pervert off the hook! No one gets away with speaking to Rosette Christopher like that!'

But her struggles soon ceased and the voice in her head died away when Chrno's tones reached her ears. Something about the way he spoke urged her to let go of the anger. To calm, just as wished her to do.

And so, despite the previous fiery demand to extract pain for her pride, she sighed and inclined her head in a small nod.

He smiled very softly, releasing her and helping her stand upon the fitting box again, offering his hand out to the bleeding old man for his tape. "I'd suggest, Edward, that you clean up while I do this." He said with the same tone, the old man's eyes going a bit unfocused as he nodded. "Yes yes my boy, I think that would be wise. Here you go."

Chrno shook his head slightly, sighing as he brought his fingers to her waist, unable to help but savor the feeling of her skin beneath his cool fingers, the blood pulsing beneath the thin layer of flesh begging for his attention, wetting his desire. He swallowed a bit hard, and frowned as he measured her waist, Twenty Four inches, a nice measurement, and then dropped the tape to loop about her hips, concealing his desires quite well as he hurried to finish the measuring.

It was still a...uncomfortable procedure, but Rosette felt a little more at ease without the elder man's hands groping about her in a way she most certainly didn't approve of. Chrno's touch was gentler and somehow almost soothing. Her skin seemed to tingle where he'd touched it and she felt her cheeks heat. Why did the vampire's touch quell the urge to bite out nasty accusations and cause physical harm? The blonde couldn't place a reasonable answer to her own question, but likewise could not find the right flick of the flame to catch the wick of her anger once more.

What a strange man, this Chrno was.

"Finished." He said softly, his voice darker, more succulent, like liquefied chocolate, then before. He stood quickly, loosening the tape from her hips as if it had been his own arms wrapped about her instead, his ruby eyes glowing slightly. "34, 25, 36."

Rosette nodded slowly, barely registering the numbers spoken through the burning sensation his touch left behind. "Right," she agreed offhandedly, stepping down from the elevated platform, blue eyes strangely unfocussed. Why did she still feel so...relaxed? She should continue throttling the old man now, shouldn't she? No, she rather wished Chrno would place his hands back around her, instead.

Rosette shook her head furiously. What in the world was she thinking? She'd never let her guard down like that in the presence of anyone, aside from her brother and perhaps Azmaria. The whole time period and turn of events must have been having an invisible effect on her, she concluded.

Crossing her arms, she forced a somewhat-reluctant glare on her handsome companion. "So, now what?"

Chrno frowned a bit, wondering where the old man had wandered off to for so long. "Go ahead and rifle through some of the things he brought, some of the pre-made things, for something that fits for now." He picked up the stack of designs, and handed them to her also. "Look through these, and see if you like them. I have to find that old man and make sure he's not molesting any of the help." He bore his fangs a bit in annoyance, and pushed his hair over his shoulder with a grumble. "I'll be back soon."

She watched him exit, absent-mindedly sitting down upon the fitting pedestal. Her gaze soon shifted to the assortment of garments the old man had brought with him, and curiosity took root as she approached the small pile. Lifting the first, her curious features quickly shifted to a grimace. Hoping the first did not leave a tale for what was in store, she discarded it casually off to the side and picked up the second, which was to her dismay, much like the first.

What were the women of this time supposed to be? Dress-up dolls?

Her eyes traveled toward the exit, wondering fleetingly if she should take this time to find her way back to the tomb. Chrno had said it was destroyed, but Rosette felt certain that scrap metal that her brother loved so, endured more disaster than it was worth.

She bit her lip, torn. The lively blonde was certain she'd have a hard time finding her way back there, if she could even manage such a feat. Perhaps it wasn't worth it. For now, anyway.

She turned her attention back to the pile of frilly garments, picked out the least extravagant and plainest-looking piece she could find, and found a secluded corner of the room where she proceeded to quickly change into the simple dress.

Rosette shifted from her right foot to her left, eying the new clothing with mounting disapproval. Why would this thin little thing be hidden amongst so many other huge and unbearably layered and lacy dresses? It honestly didn't feel much better than the nightclothes she had recently rid herself of.

She stood in silence for a moment following her clothing contemplation, glancing again toward the door. It really was the perfect time for her to make an escape. And if she could find that blasted hunk of junk, she'd be back with Joshua and the comforts of her time once again.

The thought was simply too tempting, and she succumbed to it almost immediately, hastily walking to the door and prying it open. She glanced back with a small tinge of guilt at the thought of Chrno, but pushed it from her mind as she stepped out and into the unknown.

Rosette swallowed hard, suddenly wishing she'd paid more attention in history class. Everything looked...dull. Old and worn down, or perhaps just poorly built, she wasn't sure. No neon signs or bright colors met her vision, or anything even remotely acquainted with her own time period. Unless you considered the houses to be reasonably comparable, which they obviously weren't, aside from their purpose. She spied ragged clothes hanging from ropes between buildings, streets dirty and weatherworn, simple dirt roads.

But then her vision shifted in the other direction, and her eyes widened a little. This was the kind of thing she was expecting for the time period. It wasn't bright, by any means, but certainly looked more hospitable than the other direction, which looked dark and foreboding. This area was built with more care and the structures appeared less like the poor excuses for homes on the other end. She smiled in spite of her situation, briefly wondering how excited Joshua would be to step into something like this.

But it was the thought of her brother that set her back to her task: Getting back home.

Deciding she liked the cleanlier option, though it obviously hosted more people, Rosette walked down the steps and dutifully set off in search of Chrno's tomb, and the time machine.

It was a good 20 minutes before Chrno was able to haul the damn tailor out of the servant's bathrooms and back into the foyer, already quite ready to use the old man as a meal. "Now, the next time I see you badgering any of my staff, I swear what I'll do to you wont be... Rosette?" The vampire trailed off as he realized that the girl was no longer in the foyer, and now that he felt for it, in the house.

"The young lady wandered off then?" Edward asked, ruffling his aged brows together, as his eyes scanned the box of clothing that had been pulled out and rifled through. "Funny, doesn't look like anything's missing."

"Dammit." Chrno hissed, releasing the old man before bursting out the door, his mind filled with ideas on what could happen to the blonde if she went out there, in the pajamas no less. Someone, another vampire even, would pick her up and his pact with her would not allow that type of thing to happen. He had to find her now.

Rosette wandered aimlessly, blue eyes broad with an alert fright. Her cheeks were tinted red again, wondering why the people she passed were all casting very strange and alarming stares in her direction. She was dressed to fit the times now, wasn't she? What were they gawking at? Certainly a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl could not be this odd to see, even walking at night.

She swallowed heavily, willing herself not to pay any heed to the open glances and whispered words of the strangers she passed. She wrapped her arms more tightly around the thin dress, picking up her pace.

She was dimly aware that she had no real destination. The tomb could be virtually anywhere. Miles from here, even. Her quick stride slowed down to mere baby steps and she felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. Why had she done something so drastic?

A sharp curse marred the vampires lips as he, as well, was getting rather drastic stares as he ran fluidly through the streets, his sharp eyes picking out every detail, trying to find his contractor's blonde head amongst the crowd. He had ran out before thinking, without a shirt, and in his rather ragged pants and hole filled boots, his hair wild as he ran, drawing the eyes of any woman that happened to be out, much to the despair of their male companions. Where the hell had she gone? He snarled to himself, skidding to a stop as he hit an intersection. He knew, or at least hoped, that she had not gone into Five Points, the slum on the other side of the villa, and hoped instead that she had wandered into the better part of New York. Unfortunately, the slum still leaked into this area, and a young woman running about on her own in less then the right clothing was fine pickings for any creature of the night. And this terrified him. "Damn it Rosette!"

A soft hand landed on Rosette's Shoulder, warm and heavy, as a soft voice brushed over her ear along with a darkened shadow. "Lost miss?"

The startled blonde released something between a gasp and a shriek, wrenching violently away from the unfamiliar hand. "N-No," she stammered awkwardly, immediately bringing her steps back up to high speed as she left the shadowy stranger behind.

Oh God, what had she gotten herself into?

The man smiled a bit ominously, his hat sitting oddly upon his head and his full mustache littered with peanut bits from the bar he had just attended. "Really miss? Then there be another reason why you be runnin' abouts here with only your undies on?" He smiled again, keeping pace with her as he slung his arm about his shoulder. "Lets step into my place I'll give you a dress to wear over that..."

Rosette suddenly realized her apparel must have been why people had been staring at her throughout the promenade, but hastily shoved the thought from her mind's eye as she threw off the arm (none to gently) and broke into a desperate run.

The man laughed, and promptly gave chase, a few of his buddies laughing along with him and trotting behind to watch the action. "Come on Sweet heart! We just want to help!"

Panic erupted like wildfire through her insides and Rosette pushed her legs even faster. Destination no longer mattered, the only thing she cared about at the present moment was escaping the drunken stranger. However, through her haste to escape, her churning legs became over-exerted and one crossed the path of the other, abruptly sending the girl off-balance and to the ground, a shriek of surprise escaping her throat.

"Well girlie, your not so tough as you tried to make out are you?" The man chuckled, slowing down to loom over her body, his friends huffing and puffing to catch up. He adjusted his collar, and leaned over, moving to flip her over with a rather maniacal grin on his face.

But the contact never happened, as a shadow fell over the group of men, and suddenly, Rosette's simple dress was splattered with hot blood, the goon's friends crying out in shock and horror as the shadow caught up their leader, and sank his hot white teeth into his throat, red eyes glowing harshly as he wrenched the body away, tearing the man's throat right from his body and spitting it out as if it was something vile. "Do not...ever... touch her." Chrno's voice floated upon the wind like ice, as he smeared the blood from his lips with his bare arm, the moon light making him imposing, violent, and frighteningly beautiful.

Through the pounding noise of her heartbeat ringing through her ears, Rosette heard the voice. Familiar, but not. She felt the warm liquid soak through the clothing and closed her eyes tightly. She knew if she turned around and picked her head up from the dirty road, she would not like what she saw. He killed...he killed again. It had to be Chrno. She could feel it.

Grimacing from the soreness of her impact, Rosette carefully lifted herself and turned around. Her blue eyes widened to the size of saucers, finding what was left of her assaulter. Her gaze then lifted back to the form standing above her, stained with blood. His impossibly inhuman eyes glowed crimson, alight with fury. "Y-You didn't-!" she choked out, trying hard to resist the urge to throw up. "I told you...not to k-kill!"

"What...What the hell are you mate!" One of the goons shrieked, backing up as the vampire ignored his contractor and stepped slowly towards the three other men, his mind blinded by fury and hunger. His muscles rippled beneath his taunt, bronzed flesh, as his dark violet hair tangled about his shoulders, tainted with blood like it had so many years ago. He felt no compassion, no pity for his soon to be meals, and descended upon them like darkness and just as silently, their screams muffled by the night.

Rosette tried to block out the terrified yells, but failed miserably. Tears burned in streaks down her dirt-smudged face and with a great effort, she lifted herself to her feet, knees shaking, and blindly running back into the fray. All she could think of was stopping the bloodshed. Stopping the killing.

She knew it was her fault, and therefore she had to take action. "NO!" she shouted firmly, launching herself against the vampire's back and wrapping her arms as tightly around him as she could manage. "STOP IT, CHRNO!"

With a flash Chrno snarled, flipping the girl over and pinning her to the ground, his ruby eyes flashing as blood dripped down his chin and onto the pocket watch at her chest. The chain snapping as he tore it from her throat (The glowing watch bouncing across the street and at the feet of a frightened onlooker who snatched it up quickly and bolted, unsure of why he had picked it up in the first place), going to bury his teeth into her neck like he had the other three men, only to press blunt fangs to her neck, a soft growl rumbling against her skin. "Rosette...I would suggest you not do that again, or else you might not be as lucky as you have been today." He said softly, the glow in his eyes dulling slightly, his body blocking the view of the mangled corpses behind them.

"You can't keep doing this," she sobbed against him, still terrified of the night's events. "I was...foolish to run off," she admitted in a small voice, swallowing back another strangled sob. "But you were foolish, too. I could beat that man off. You didn't need to-to..." Her voice trailed off into the darkness. Her hand involuntarily went to squeeze the area where the pocket watch normally rested, grasping only fabric instead. "My watch...my father's watch...why?"

"As I said, you are lucky. I nearly made you my dessert." He frowned, turning his eyes to the side where the pocket watch must have skidded off, his arms wrapping about her protectively as he stood up, lifting her with him. "Damn thieves, you cant go anywhere without one picking up your stuff without a minutes notice..." He sighed, holding her carefully against his chest so that she would not glimpse the murdered thugs. "I'll have someone search the slums and shops for it Rosette, I'm sorry."

The girl was quiet and still for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, her blue eyes wild. "This...has got to be some kind of nightmare," she concluded. "I'll wake up any moment now. Safe in my bed!" But her own words held a deadened tone. She knew it wasn't true, even as she spoke it.

Again, she stilled and became silent, but only for a moment before she began thrashing violently against his hold. "Please! Just let me go! I want to go home!" she pleaded, voice cracking.

He frowned, his hand closing about her thin wrists to keep her from flailing about. "I cant Rosette, you agreed to this little contract, and I cannot break it. There is, as far as I know, no way back to your home. You are the one who intruded upon me, and I am the one who has just saved you. Do not speak to me as if I am the one responsible for all this." His voice calmed a bit, and he sighed, his shoulders slumping. He didn't have that much experience with this... "Rosette, I am sorry. I am only trying to help..." He turned his eyes down slightly, giving her an almost pleading look. "Forgive me."

"I know it's my fault!" she bit out, self-loathing seeping into her veins. "I ran off blindly on a whim, without..." Without thinking of the consequences, her mind finished for her. She bit her lip. "I just...I didn't mean to come here or disturb you or anything. It was an accident. And now..." Her gaze shifted around the unfamiliar area, a combination of fear and despair gripping her heart.

"I can't live like this," she strained out. "I can't. You have to stop doing this. If you're trying to help, then please..."

"I cannot live without doing this Rosette. But I will try not to kill in front of you." He sighed, cleaning off his lips with his hand after releasing her wrists. "Don't Despair Rosette, I can feel it on you." He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, in a soft effort to calm her. "We'll find a way to send you home, but...you are going to have to understand the meaning of me being a vampire. Without the death of others, I cannot survive. And if it means cleaning the earth of scum like that, I truly don't mind it. But for you, I'll cut it to a minimum."

She did not respond, though her blue eyes remained alert, emotion running rampant in their depths, reflecting what little light was given off in the night. Some small and desperately hopeful part of her still wished this were just a horrible nightmare.

Rosette had no choices anymore. No way home. She could make another break for it at some point, but the results of this incident quickly extinguished the possibility as quickly as it came. The only choice she had now was to put all that was left of her hope and faith into Chrno.

And somehow she was certain this nightmare was only just beginning.

"Rosette." Chrno prodded, his forehead resting lightly against her own for a moment, his eyes searching her desperate ones. "Rosette... please trust me..."

A small warmth flickered to life inside of her and she grasped it, just at tightly as her arms suddenly grasped about his neck. "I trust you," she whispered hoarsely, voice still strained from the torrent of her own emotions. "Don't leave me," she pleaded out of nowhere, gripping more tightly around him. "I don't care what you are, I just...I wanted to change things if I could. I'm sorry."

Silent tears streaked down her face as she finished, glimmering in the moonlight as she held the crimson gaze to her own.

He gave a soft smile, his fangs peaking from beneath his lips, and it almost traveled to his eyes this time, his arms gently moving about her waist. "You have changed things already Rosette, not anyone can make a Vampire think twice about killing, or would save one without any wish to enslave them." He slipped his arm beneath her knees and scooped her up, dark wings unfolding from his back as he lifted them both into the air, his voice just barely audible above the wind. "I wont leave you Rosette, to that I swear my life."

"Thank you," she whispered into the air, vaguely registering that they were now flying. She felt the sense of safety return and leaned more comfortably against him. Her body felt tired from the events that passed, but she still felt wide-awake. The nightmare, whatever it amounted to, was bearable now. As long as she was with Chrno, she felt assured that everything would somehow turn out okay in the end, as long as she was by his side.

* * *

"Here." Chrno said simply, snapping the ammo into the colt and placing the revolver into the hands of his companion. "You will need to learn how to use this." He had already easily found out about the use of the weapon from his first victim who had tried to use it on him. "It wont do much good on things like me, but against humans, it can be quite helpful."

A delicate frown marred her features as she pushed the gun back into his hands roughly. "I have no intention of killing anyone," she stated fiercely. "I grudgingly accept that you...require to take a life, once in awhile." She paused over the words, still hating the sound of them. "But I refuse." She lifted her fists up, a smirk working its way onto her lips. "This is all I need."

"I didn't say anything about killing them." He replied smartly, snapping out the cylinder once more, showing her. "They're not for killing, since I know your preference for it, for stunning though, the can be very useful." He squeezed the bullet between two fingers, his strength much greater then any humans, and caused it to crumble into a fine powder. "It's a plaster, very hard, but at the contact with your opponent, it will break before a person will. But it will leave a rather large bruise, and even, a broken bone if you hit them in the right place. But it won't kill them. That's why it'll be no use against my kind."

"Alright," she said after a period of silence, determination setting into her gaze as she lifted her eyes back to his. "If worse comes to worst, I'll give it a try."

She didn't really like the thought of using such a crude weapon, but she supposed women weren't taken very seriously in this time period, from what she had already experienced first-hand. Maybe it would give her an edge.

He smiled lightly, ruffling her hair. "That's my girl...now, have you ever used one of these before?" He asked, taking it from her and aiming easily at the jar he had placed upon the fence post, firing and knocking it off with shatter.

Her thoughts briefly flickered to her memories again; recalling the closest thing she had done to firing a gun, fake as it had been. "No," she said simply, holding a hand out for him to place the weapon upon. "But I think I'll catch on pretty fast."

"Well...as far as I know, you line up your shot with the sights here..." He didn't personally use them; his vision was far superior to her own. "And don't feel bad if you miss at first."

"I won't miss," she assured haughtily, raising the gun line up with the second jar, just beside the shattered remains of the first. She fired confidently, though slightly perturbed by power of the "real thing", which caused her involuntarily lean back upon firing. After dismissing the momentary shock, she was pleased to see the jar had been cracked, though not fully shattered. "Close enough," she shrugged.

He smiled at that, dropping to one knee and placing his arms about her, his fingers curling about her own as he helped aim the gun once more, his chin resting at her shoulder as he helped her aim. "When someone is coming for your life, it might not be 'close enough' as you say. You nearly got it, just remember, don't be shocked by the recoil, breath out when you are firing, or else you will shift your shot." he breathed in, expecting her to follow, before breathing out his words. "Now shoot."

She made a sharp intake of breath, as he requested, though it was more due to his closeness than his instructions. But she fired when he gave the word and watched the glass shatter into tiny pieces right before her eyes. "I got it!" she squealed, cheeks still pink from his close proximity.

"Very good." He smiled warmly, standing up and squeezing her shoulders, a slight sweat marring his skin as he stared at the barely lightened horizon. "But I think...we should end our lessons for tonight. The sun is coming up."

She felt a frigid coldness envelope the area he had vacated, but shook it off, raising her gaze to the horizon. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

He offered his hand out to her, a soft smile on his features that were slowly starting to reach his eyes every time. "Then shall we, my dear Rosette?" His voice moved over her ears like silk, his ruby eyes flashing in amusement.

She grasped the hand slowly, a smile lighting her own features in turn as a bright blush swept over her cheeks. She agreed wordlessly with a timid nod, feeling the warmth seep back in through his hand's grasp.

He easily swept her up into his arms like a princess, his hair tangling about her arms as he shifted her so that she would be comfortable as he moved through the shadows like lightning, so that they found themselves within the building's foyer in moments. He set her down gently, and pat her head softly, his eyes watching her with a little more then friendship. "Sleep well Rosette, I will see you at Dusk."

She knew the attraction was wrong, on so very many levels...but she couldn't help it. Who could tell her heart what to feel?

Her blue eyes gazed back at him, half-glazed with sleepiness. Savoring the contact, she closed her eyes completely, his name whispered softly as she allowed sleep to claim her.

He stumbled a bit as he caught her, chuckling slightly. He was surprised that she hadn't collapsed earlier, and he chuckled, sweeping her up into his arms as he moved her into her room, pulling off her overdress as he went. She truly was a sweet girl, almost like...if he could even think of it...a very rambunctious daughter.

He didn't wish to see harm come to her... even if he had to defend her from himself.

He gently slipped her into the bed, tucking her in with the care of a father before wishing her goodnight and slipping down into the dark to avoid the sunlight, awaiting the rise of the moon once more.

* * *

Amako: Umm o.oa Hope you're all enjoying the read thus far. It's really a lot of fun to write jointly!

Amai: XD Yes, I hope you all enjoyed this installment of Chrno's sexy!….. I mean Linked by fate!

Stay tuned!


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